Code Lyoko E58: Choose Your Fate!
by James the Lesser
Summary: Yumi's birthday comes and Ulrich takes her out as friends for it. Afterwards they fight, Yumi goes home and sees William who also wishes her a Happy Birthday.


**Code Lyoko Episode 58: Choose You Fate!**

**Author: James the Lesser/The Bunnyman.**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS, MOONSCAPE DOES, I THINK!**

**Chapter 1**

"So Yumi, for your birthday I was thinking if you wanted to do something I could take you, like somewhere to eat, and maybe a movie." Ulrich, Yumi, Odd, Aelita, and Jeremie are sitting at the gazebo that had been built over the vacation. They had just gotten through the first day of school.

"So Ulrich couldn't think of anything to get her so trying to bribe her with dinner and a movie?" Odd laughs but is thinking finally, about time he asked her out.

"No Odd I just thought instead of some shirt or something stupid I could take my friend Yumi out for a night away from school and Xana." It wasn't a date, Ulrich just couldn't think of anything to get Yumi that wasn't boyfriendish.

"Sure Ulrich, when do you want to go?" Yumi's cheeks flushed with color, she had almost shouted her feeling towards Ulrich but when he said friend Yumi' her blush turned into anger.

"Well tonight I guess, since today is your birthday, kind of stupid to do it tomorrow." Aelita had told him it was Yumi's birthday, asking him what he got her, which was nothing since he had forgotten it with all the trouble Xana had been causing.

"Ok Ulrich, my parents should let me out later since it is my birthday." And if they didn't what would they do, ground her? Not like she hadn't sneaked out before, especially when Xana attacked. Although if they followed her to school and picked her up like last time, that was embarrassing.

"Say around seven?" Ulrich's stomach was twisting into knots, it was almost like going on a date with Yumi, but wasn't.

"Ok, so Odd since Ulrich is taking me out to dinner what are you going to do?"

"Hey I got you something trust me, but I'll give it to you tomorrow, it hasn't arrived yet." And he was glad Ulrich had said something about Yumi's birthday, at least with Jeremie and Aelita they made sure everyone knew the other's birthday was coming up.

"Aelita and I chipped in and got you this." Jeremie hands Yumi a cd. "It's the complete work of Dr. Richard Feynman, William Bryson, and genius Stephen Hawking. Aelita thought that since she was able to help Ulrich with his science we could help you with yours."

"Thanks Aelita and Jeremie, I'll use it, I guess. But aren't these guys rocket scientists and Quantum Physics majors? I don't think we cover that this year, or any year." She appreciated it though, at least they remembered her birthday, unlike Odd, and she was pretty sure Ulrich was making stuff up as it came to him.

"Hey Ulrich you going to finish that?" Odd was eyeing the slice of cheap made in a can apple pie on his plate.

"Depends, Yumi do you want it, like a birthday pie or something?"

"No." Before Ulrich could say anything else Odd had spiked the pie with two forks and brought it to his mouth. "I have another class soon, see you guys after school."

"We're meeting in the Gazebo Yumi, have fun in math class!" Aelita and Jeremie smiled at her, they had math earlier and enjoyed it a lot. They were both smart enough to answer the questions, but who could raise their hand fast enough became a sport for them.

Back in Jeremie's room Jeremie had plugged his laptop into an outlet; let it run off of something besides its batteries while the Hard Drive was defragmented. Xana saw its chance and took it, sending a ghost out of the electrical outlet and into the laptop corrupting the Super Scan before it could warn Jeremie of an activated tower.

After the last class was over Ulrich told Odd to go ahead, he was going back to their dorm room. "Want to make sure you look extra good on your date with Yumi, Ulrich?"

"It's not a date!" So Ulrich thought, what if Yumi thought of it as a date? He wasn't sure if he wanted it to be one or not. He had to get money out of his secret hiding spot, not that he didn't trust Odd, heck he trusted Odd with his life on multiple occasions, but other students might not be so trustworthy. And if he wanted to take an extra shower use some of Odd's hair gel, and find out what movies were playing at the movie theater that he knew of , and figure out where they were going to eat on this non-date he would.

Yumi wanted to talk to Ulrich before she left the school for home but he didn't show up at the Gazebo with Odd, was he avoiding her? He said he would get her at seven, and he better, she was even going to wear something different, instead of her usual turtleneck sweater she would wear something special. Maybe not as special as what Odd wore when in her body, but not one of her dozen black turtleneck sweaters.

Ulrich was set, he had his money, already got tickets for the new American comedy that came out, and had enough left for Chez Pierre.(Shay-Pee-Air) He had dragged Odd's bike out of the sewer earlier so he could get to Yumi's house quickly, and to the restaurant, and the movie theater.

Yumi had on a V-neck shirt, a knee length skirt, and her boots. She was thinking of going with a different top, this one showed her midriff like the others, but this wasn't a date so she wasn't going to get dressed too formerly. "Oh Yumi want to make your boyfriend happy on your birthday! Yumi and Ulrich sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S..."

"He is not my boyfriend!" And they had never kissed, they came close once on Lyoko, but never had actually kissed. "Tell Mom and Dad I went to a movie with my _friend_ Ulrich for my birthday and I will be back later." Yumi slams the door behind her to let off some steam, both at her annoying little brother and at how stupid she felt at the moment. She had used special shampoo, and soap, and had dressed nicely, for a non-date. She kept telling herself Ulrich didn't want to say date in front of the others and this really was going to be a date, and seeing how Ulrich was dressed hoped she was right. "Ulrich, how am I supposed to ride?"

"Stand on the grind bars and hang on." Ulrich was dumb struck by how Yumi looked, maybe she thought this was a date, and maybe it was, he didn't want to say those words though. Yumi gets on as Ulrich says to and holds on to his shoulders wondering where they were going.

Leaving the movie theater Yumi was in a foul mood. Ulrich wouldn't even touch her arm when it was on the armrest, she hoped he would hold her hand during the movie, but Ulrich was busy trying to read the subtitles of the American film. Maybe this was why she had left the group, and Sissy helped beat Xana, even when she gave Ulrich all the opportunities to make this a date he wouldn't. If he only liked her as a friend, then what was she doing wasting her time here? William said he would go to her house with her gift, but she didn't even tell him she wouldn't be there, hoping he would get the hint. But maybe Yumi was the one missing the hint. "Ulrich I want to go home."

"Really? We still have..."

"I don't care Ulrich, this was supposed to be a date and you won't even look at me."

"A date? No this was just, uh, you know, a gift." Yumi did want it to be a date, if he had kept his mouth shut he might have been able to save it but he was too late.

"What Ulrich? You take me to a movie, and then plan on taking me out to eat, and this isn't a date? We are just friends are we? I should have known Sissy would have her..."

"This isn't about Sissy! I can't stand her, but Yumi if you wanted this to be a, you know, um..."

"You can't even say it! I could go my whole life waiting for you and all you would do is have that stupid look on your face."

"Well I want to make sure you live the rest of your life..." Yumi cut him off by pushing him.

"Isn't that sweet, you, protecting me? I can do that fine on my own!" She had beaten him before, and except for Xana, she would have beaten Sissy to.

"I want to make sure you do Yumi, so I can prove Xana wrong." He himself had nearly died because of it, but he wouldn't die, he knew that.

"Prove Xana wrong?" This confused Yumi, prove Xana wrong on what? "How are you going to prove Xana wrong Ulrich?"

"By making sure you make it to 2007!" Ulrich was mad, why was Yumi arguing about this? If she had wanted a date she should have told him, and she knew he hated Sissy, why did she always have to bring her up?

"Make sure I make it to 2007?" Yumi's mind raced, what did this mean, that she wouldn't make it there, why wouldn't she? Wait a minute... "Ulrich you never did tell us where you went when you followed yourself on Lyoko." He had gone the wrong way; the bathrooms were in the other direction. "You went to the woods didn't you?" And in the woods were the Hermitage, a park, and a cemetery. "No, I die, I was dead, you bast..."

"You don't die because I will protect you!" Ulrich hadn't meant to let Yumi know, no reason to let her know, he was going to protect her, but now that she knew.

"Really Ulrich, like you were then? I'm going to die, and according to you before 2007, meaning I have less then five months before I die! You were going to let me die weren't you, that's why you didn't tell me, so you can go to your precious Sissy while I rot in the ground." Tears start to form in her eyes, how could he, how could Ulrich not tell her?

"No Yumi of course not, I didn't tell you because I was going to change it." Ulrich stared at the ground, he was wrong, he should have told Yumi, he was just trying to protect her.

"Well you know what else has changed Ulrich?" She starts walking away. "Never talk to me again, if it isn't about Xana don't even have Odd call me." Yumi starts to run so Ulrich won't see her cry.

A few meters from her house Yumi started to feel foolish, she had just walked nearly five kilometers, crying her eyes out, and it was because of some immature boy named Ulrich Stern. She was only a meter from the front gate to her house when she was stopped by someone. "Hey Yumi, I said I would stop by." It was William, with a dozen golden roses, it was nearly eleven at night and he had been waiting there since eight. "Are you ok?" Her eyes were red, and Ulrich wasn't around. William had gone to Sissy to get help on how to get Yumi. He had given Ulrich a chance; he tried to be nice, but today was his chance to have Yumi for himself. He was going to follow Sissy's instructions, buy expensive flowers, tell Yumi he loved her, and stop being Mr. Nice Guy.

"I'm fine, thanks." William hands Yumi's the flowers. "They're beautiful."

"Beautiful gift for a beautiful woman." Turn on the charm, but don't be weak, be aggressive. William puts an arm on each side of Yumi, caging her against the wall. "Happy Birthday Yumi." He goes to kiss her but she turns away, giving William the wrong idea. "Yes..." He moves to her neck and starts kissing her there thinking, "Be aggressive, don't wait for the girl to make the first move, make it, and the next one."

"Oh God." Yumi didn't know she had said it out loud and it wasn't because of what William was doing but what was going on inside her head. If Ulrich saw them, to heck with him she though, she didn't care anymore; let Ulrich see her and William. William moves his arms down from the wall and puts them on her waist kissing and nibbling on Yumi's collarbone. She rarely wore anything but her turtleneck, except at the swimming pool, and William was going to take chances.

"Yumi you are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, I knew it when I first saw you I had to have you, that I love you." He moves to the other side of her neck leaving a trail of hickies down it.

Yumi was lost in thought, it felt good, but it wasn't Ulrich. But she had given Ulrich his chance, many of them, yet the only time he would ever say anything about his feelings was when they were going to die, not like William. William becoming bold moves his hands up Yumi's body to the side of her stomach, feeling the exposed skin, and the bottom of her shirt. He starts to slide his hands under her shirt.

"Stop it William, my parents might come home soon." It was all Yumi could think of to stop William, to stop herself.

"They already are Yumi, about an hour ago, said something about you were going somewhere with Ulrich." William hit himself on the inside, why did he mention Ulrich? He went back to Yumi's neck working on her throat making her shiver, moving his hands up to her chest.

"Then I am going to be grounded..." Yumi didn't know why she was letting William do this, if Ulrich was there she never would, but he wasn't, and never was. What the heck she thought, she was going to die this year according to Ulrich, to Xana, and she might as well have all the fun she could. She almost stops William when he pulls his mouth away from her neck.

"You're right, maybe tomorrow I could take you on a date, maybe see a movie, and get some food, date stuff." William takes his hands out of her shirt after giving Yumi a squeeze. He had played his cards right, he had been aggressive, but now was the time to back off.

"Anything but Whitecastle." She couldn't believe this, was she really going to go out with William? What would her friends say, of course they would say it was a bad idea William wasn't Ulrich, but they were friends with Ulrich, not William. This time when William leaned down to kiss her she didn't turn away and kissed him hard. "Thanks for the flowers William."

"No problem Yumi, it is your Birthday." William was trying hard not to shout his feelings of joy, he had done it, Sissy's tips had won him Yumi, and now she was free to do what she wanted to Ulrich. "Good Night Yumi."

"Good Night William." Yumi walks into her house running into Hiroki. "Shouldn't you be in bed?"

"Shouldn't you do date things with Ulrich instead of training?" Hiroki ran off with his Game Pad leaving Yumi confused, training with Ulrich? She walks into the kitchen to find a glass to put her flowers in when her mother sees her.

"Yumi Ishiyama you are in big trouble!" Yumi thought it was just for being out late and didn't pay attention. "First you stay out well past curfew and now you come back with those!"

"They're just flowers mom." Yumi didn't understand what the big problem was.

"Those are not flowers those are hickies left by your boyfriend! I knew you were too young to be dating that Ulrich boy."

"He is not my boyfriend! I got these flowers from William!" Yumi runs upstairs to the bathroom and looks in the mirror. All up and down her neck were marks, the ones Hiroki thought were bruises from training with Ulrich, but her mother had recognized as hickies. Yumi was to tired and to emotionally worn out to care though, and goes to bed. "That's what I get for not wearing a turtleneck."

The next day Yumi was feeling guilty, she had expected a date from Ulrich and he didn't. He was a year younger then her, maybe he wasn't ready for this, for what William was. If she had kept her cool last night maybe she could have worked things out but her fuse was short and Ulrich always seemed to know how to light it. Walking in the hallway after history she is trying to bring up her problem with the only girl she was close to, Aelita. Before she can though she sees William, he waves at her, Yumi panics. "Aelita be right back." Yumi runs into the nearest girl's bathroom to get away from William. She goes to the sink and looks in the mirror. "He is your boyfriend now, not Ulrich; he was too immature to do anything, why should these be a problem. Yumi pulls at her turtleneck collar and looks at the hickies.

"Yumi are you ok?" Aelita sees Yumi looking in the mirror, then the marks on her neck. "Yumi who attacked you, was it Xana?" Aelita runs over and puts a hand on the bruises' on Yumi's neck.

"No Aelita it wasn't Xana, I wasn't attacked, if he had Jeremie would have called us." Yumi fed up with it, how could she talk to Aelita, her main source for information was TV, no way could she help.

"Well Yumi if you need anything I can help." She hoped, was it drugs? Just last night on her favorite show the main character had a friend who was doing drugs, but they put it in their arms, not their neck.

"I'm fine just leave me alone for a minute, please?"

"I will, but make sure you go to Jeremie's room after school, he has some new program he wants to use and we all need to go to Lyoko." Aelita leaves Yumi and runs to her next class so she wouldn't be late.

Odd, Aelita, and Jeremie are waiting for the other two in Jeremie's room. After Aelita told Odd and Jeremie about the bruises' on Yumi's they were having a good laugh about it. Odd had to explain what the hickies were, and how they got there, as the group thought Ulrich had put them there they were having fun coming up with different names for the two. When Ulrich walked in they all started to laugh. "What?" Ulrich looks down at himself, no, he zipped his fly, weren't any stains on his shirt, what were they laughing about?

"Oh lover boy is playing Sissy." Aelita smiles happy the two had finally gotten together.

"I think you mean dumb' Aelita."

"No I got it right Jeremie." The three laugh while Ulrich remains confused.

"So you and Yumi see much of the movie Ulrich?" Odd laughs at his joke, he couldn't count how many movies he had gone to and didn't see' it.

"Not really." He had been to busy straining his eyes to read the subtitles. If they were going to make the movie big why not make the writing big?

"Alright Ulrich! So how far you get?" Odd smacks Ulrich on the back smiling and laughing like the rest. They knew Ulrich and Yumi would eventually tell each other how they felt and they were happy for them.

"I didn't get anywhere, didn't even get to Chez Pierre." The three start laughing even harder.

"You two were to busy to even eat?" Jeremie tried to put it off as a joke but felt awkward, he and Aelita had held hands, even kissed, but what Ulrich was saying made him uncomfortable to think about.

"What is wrong with you three? I didn't even get to..." The door opens and Yumi walks in.

"So Jeremie you have some new program or something to test out on Lyoko?" Three of her friends look at her smiling broadly, trying not to laugh, while Ulrich turned his back on her.

"So Yumi those, bruises', heal yet?" Odd had gone eight seconds before he said it, he was proud of himself even though it cost Aelita a bet she had with Jeremie. She thought Odd would at least make it ten seconds before saying that.

"Shut up Odd! William can do whatever the hel..."

"William!" Ulrich turns around interrupting Yumi. "William hurt you, put bruises on you?" Even as mad as he was at Yumi he still had feelings for her and was concerned.

"No he didn't Ulrich he unlike you proved he wasn't a little boy and made me feel better after what you did!" The other three had no idea what was going on, if Ulrich didn't give Yumi the hickies, then it was William? "He bought me a beautiful gift and told me he loved me, he kissed me like the woman that I am while you were busy with your stupid non-date bull..."

"He what! I can't believe you Yumi, how could you?"

"How could I what? It's not like you're my boyfriend, you're just a friend, isn't that what you said? And I don't care anymore you know why?" She turns to the three of her friends who hadn't betrayed her, in her opinion. "Because I am going to be dead in less then five months so I might as well do whatever I want because it won't matter!" Yumi walks away mad at herself, at Ulrich, at the world in general. She goes into a girl's bathroom to calm down when a Xana Ghost comes out of a light fixture. Yumi normally would fight it off but she was to emotionally weak to come up with the will power to fight the Xana Ghost off.

Odd, Aelita, and Jeremie are staring at Ulrich, what did Yumi mean she would be dead? "Ulrich what's going on, you took Yumi on a date last night and now she says she is going to die, how?"

"It wasn't a date Aelita and she won't die because I will stop it from happening! I don't care what Xana said I won't let Yumi die!" Now Ulrich storms out of the room. "I'll make sure this never happens!"

"Ok I'm lost, it wasn't Ulrich but William, and Yumi is going to die because Ulrich said Xana said she was going to die?" Odd scratches his head. "I think I would remember Xana coming into our room and telling us he was going to kill Yumi."

"Let me see something." Jeremie opens his laptop, it was still defragmenting. He turns it off and opens his Lyoko files. "I have the map scene recorded from all of your trips." He goes to a file with the day he was looking for. "When you went to Lyoko and landed in the school what was it that you saw."

"Uh, there were students, lots of new ones, and Aelita was, older." He was going to say bigger like he did on Lyoko but thought better of it. "So were you Jeremie, and me, and Ulrich."

"And from what I was told Sissy, not Yumi, was in our group?"

"Yeah, I think maybe Yumi had graduated the year before so that is why she wasn't there.

"Or she was dead." Jeremie turn his laptop around so his friends can see it. "Now let's say this," he points to where Yumi and Odd were standing on the Lyoko map. "Is the cafeteria. Now this," he points to an icon that says Ulrich. "Is the woods, now using an overview map I think I know where Ulrich went when he followed the Xana version." Jeremie now points out on a new map the cemetery.

"Well maybe it was one of his parents, or another family member."

"But this would explain Yumi's outburst, if the tombstone said she died in 2006 that would mean she has less then five months before her death."

"But it was fake; no way would we let Sissy in our group, or let Yumi die Jeremie, right Odd?" Aelita goes over to the map, looks at the laptop screen, hoping that maybe Jeremie was holding the map upside down.

"This explains why Ulrich has made sure Yumi goes to Lyoko, if she loses life points there she comes here, but if she loses her life points here..." It was clear to them. Ulrich wasn't just being his usual self; he was becoming reckless to protect Yumi.

"Uh problem you two, I think Ulrich went off the deep end." Odd hung his phone up. "Didn't he say he was going to make sure this never happens, he's used the Super Computer before, and he won't answer his phone."

"We have to get to the Factory right away and stop him!" The three ran out of the dorm building and get to the sewer entrance as fast as they could.

Ulrich was almost to the sewer entrance to the Factory. He would make sure he never made that date with Yumi, and instead go pound William's face in. When he gets there he sees Yumi's skateboard is already there, was she going to do the same thing? If it was that bad that she would use the Super Computer to do a return to the past, or was she going to tell him to leave her alone and go straight to William? He'd see about that. Climbing up the ladder he hears noises, like a laser being fired. He gets the top open and looks out to see Yumi fighting an Assassin. "Yumi!" Ulrich forgets about all his anger and goes to help Yumi fight the Assassin.

Odd, Aelita, and Jeremie get to the Sewer entrance and see two skateboards. "Maybe Yumi had the same idea."

"No time to waste we have to stop them before..." Through the open sewer hole Jeremie sees a laser fly over. "But my laptop, it didn't activate the Super Scan, I could have sworn I left it on." Why it was taking so long to defragment his Hard Drive.

"We have company?" Odd wants to see but Jeremie is in the way.

"I think so Odd, you go first then me and then Aelita." As long as it wasn't Hornets Aelita would be safe in the sewer. Jeremie moves out of Odd's way who climbs up to see two of his friends fighting the Assassin.

"Need any help?" He was ready and willing to fight, been awhile since he had a good work out.

"No Odd just get Jeremie and Aelita to the Factory." Ulrich dodges a swipe from the claws of the Assassin and kicks it. "Go!" Odd pulls Jeremie up from the ladder and then Aelita and they begin to run. Thankfully the Assassin pays no attention to them and continues to fire lasers at Yumi and Ulrich.

"Ready?" Jeremie is sitting at the computer while Aelita and Odd are in the Scanner Room.

"Ready Einstein." Jeremie starts working.

"Scanner Odd, Scanner Aelita, Transfer Odd, Transfer Aelita, Virtualization." Odd and Aelita drop down next to the Overboard and Overwing.

"Where to Einstein?" They were in the Ice Sector, it looked normal, it wasn't the wasteland it had been.

"Go East; if you miss it you are as blind as I am without my glasses." Jeremie had been working on putting his friends in straight lines from the towers, made it easier to get to them. Aelita and Odd fly East crossing their fingers that Xana wouldn't send any monsters.

On Earth Yumi and Ulrich are still fighting the Assassin when it slashes Ulrich in the chest. "Yumi watch it." He saw her start to turn to him, to see if he was ok, taking her eyes off the Assassin. "I'm fine." Ulrich stands back up, the claws hadn't gone deep, and the bleeding would probably stop on its own.

On Lyoko even before they get to the tower Xana has sent monsters, Hornets. "Princess be careful." Odd starts to fire arrows and the Hornets breaking them up.

"Odd wait, let me load something special." Jeremie had the program ready for Odd, how well it would work he wasn't sure, but if it did the Hornets were in for a world of hurt. "There, fire."

"Laser Arrow!" Odd fires one and sees it curve to hit a Hornet. "Guided? Cool Einstein." He fires another one hitting the second Hornet.

"Be careful though, they aren't as great as Xana made them." And he had only loaded ten in each arm, no point sending a thousand if they didn't work.

"Laser Arrow." Odd hits the last Hornet. "Well Princess your castle is waiting." Odd and Aelita take off for the tower that was still in the distance.

In front of the Factory the Assassin had hit Ulrich in the leg with a laser bringing him down to one knee. Getting back up he sees Yumi is staring at him while the Assassin comes up behind her. "Yumi behind you!" Yumi raises her hand.

"Sit." The Assassin sits down behind her. "Actually, go take care of Jeremie Belpois." The Assassin stands up and walks into the Factory.

"I got monsters on the screen, two Mega Tanks and some Blocks." Jeremie was working on loading more guided arrows for Odd when he hears the elevator running. "And sounds like you are going to have some help." He gets Yumi's and Ulrich's transfer program loaded and ready for them.

"Well don't think we need it Einstein." Odd fires more arrows taking out all three blocks.

"Be careful Odd you are down to four arrows." Jeremie had to wait for Yumi and Ulrich to get to the Scanner Room before he loaded new arrows, keeping the transfer program up took to many resources to do both. The elevator stops, and the doors open, but not in the Scanner Room. "What are you doing, you need to get to..." Jeremie sees the Assassin getting off the elevator. "You guys are on your own, sorry!" He gets out of his seat as the Assassin blasts it with lasers.

"Jeremie?" Aelita hears him yell, and lasers being fired, the Assassin had gotten past her other friends. "Odd distract the Mega Tanks, I'm going to pull well, a me."

"Are you sure you don't want to pull a 1, 2, 3, It's Me? Well now a 1, 2, It's Me?"

"That won't work, please hurry if the Assassin got past Yumi and Ulrich they could be hurt." Or worse, but if she deactivated the tower she could use a return to the past to fix their injuries, unless they were already dead.

"Ok Princess." Odd flies over a Mega Tank jumping off the Overboard and landing on it. "Hey Mega Tank, over here!" The other Mega Tank opens and takes aim at Odd who is on the other Mega Tank.

Back in front of the Factory Ulrich isn't sure what is going on. "Yumi what are you doing? How did you do that?"

"Easy Ulrich Stern, I am Xana and my creatures listen to me."

"But you can't possess Yumi, or me, or Odd, you can't be Xana."

"Want another demonstration of my power?" Yumi walks over to the side of the bridge, grabs a part of the railing and breaks it off. Grabbing the other end Yumi squeezes it while moving her hand up the railing making it into a point.

"No, Yumi, fight him!"

"She can't, or doesn't want to, you humans are so frail. You do know why she does not fight me, I can see her thoughts, you are in them." Yumi, or Xana, smiles waving the railing now turned into a spear, around.

"Let go of her Xana, please don't hurt her."

"Oh but you already know that won't work, I have to kill her." Xana grazes the point across Yumi's neck lightly. "Why do you care if Yumi Ishiyama dies? Her thoughts show your feelings for her are not that strong, not like Aelita Hopper and Jeremie Belpois." Xana knew about humans almost the same way Aelita knew about Earth, from what it sees, and what it does see isn't always the complete story.

"She's my friend, leave her alone!" Ulrich stands up and charges Yumi/Xana. Yumi/Xana sticks her hand out and blasts Ulrich with an energy field.

"Futile, you know I could kill her right now Ulrich Stern." Yumi/Xana grazes the point across a wrist. "You humans are quite attached to your blood, and here," Yumi/Xana takes the point and puts it over the chest of Yumi, "Is where it comes from."

"Stop it! Please don't kill her, I'll do anything, please don't kill Yumi." Ulrich was back up but knew it wouldn't do any good to charge Yumi/Xana.

"And why would I do that? I don't even need this thing; I could just crush her heart from the inside." Yumi/Xana smiles wickedly at Ulrich. "What are you willing to give me for this girl's life?

Ulrich gets down on his knees, bows his head, and replies. "My life."

"But I could just kill Yumi Ishiyama after I kill you Ulrich Stern."

"If we make the deal you won't go back on it, you have some sense of honor." Ulrich remembered the time Jeremie's Marabounta had nearly destroyed Lyoko, and how after they had teamed up with Xana to stop it Xana's monsters just bowed and walked away.

"To true, but why would you do this? You have other friends, there are billions of humans out there, and you could always make more." Yumi/Xana stops in front of Ulrich. "Are you sure you want to die for Yumi Ishiyama?" Yumi/Xana raises the spike, ready to put it through Ulrich's skull.

"Tower Deactivated." Aelita hoped it was in time, Odd had been hit by a Mega Tank and was sent back to Earth, maybe he would find Jeremie was ok. "Jeremie? Odd? Anyone?" Nothing. "I'm sorry I have to do this." Aelita brings the computer screen up and starts the return to the past.

"Because I love Yumi." Ulrich was ready for the pain, but heard the spike drop, and then looked up to see Yumi staring down at him; the Xana Eye was not in hers. She gets on her knees and hugs Ulrich.

"I love you to." The white bubble of a return to the past takes them.

It is two hours before Ulrich was supposed to get Yumi and he was nervous. He had already gone on the non-date with Yumi, but was it a date now? He waited for Yumi to call but she didn't, did that mean nothing had changed? He decides to leave now; he wasn't going to waste his time dragging Odd's bike up if Yumi was going to tell him to go away when he got to her door.

Yumi was excited, Ulrich had finally told her he loved her, he was going to die for her, even after what she had done with William. She put on a better shirt, this one from home made of silk. She was hoping Ulrich would call her but he hadn't, was he still mad at her for William? But he said he loved her, he had finally said it, and she had nearly melted when she heard it, and told him she loved him to. He had to come, for their date, or she would be crushed.

Ten minutes before seven Yumi hears the doorbell ring. She goes to the door trying to keep calm and opens it to find Ulrich, like she hoped. "Hi Ulrich, want to come in for a minute?"

"No Yumi, I walked here so don't have the bike." Ulrich couldn't believe his eyes, Yumi not only dressed up for him, but better then last time. Looking at her neck he sees the hickies aren't there, the return to the past had changed that. "Happy Birthday Yumi, I got tickets to _Le Rumour_ and if you want afterwards could go to Chez Pierre." He had already seen the American Comedy and didn't find it that funny, and if Yumi still wanted to go he thought they should see a different movie, a romantic movie.

"Thanks Ulrich, Hiroki I'm going now!"

"Ulrich and Yumi sitting in a tree..." Hiroki had been waiting for Ulrich to show up just so he could sing that.

After the movie Ulrich and Yumi walked out of the theater holding hands. Ulrich was red in the face for the first few minutes of the movie when he went to hold Yumi's hand but she didn't stop him so he kept holding it. "We still have time for Chez Pierre, unless you want to go home."

"It is late already Ulrich and Chez Pierre is so expensive, I still need to go home." And walking took longer then the bike, they had made it for the eight o'clock showing, barely.

"Well if you want I could walk you home Yumi." He feels her squeeze his hand, he took it as a yes.

A few meters from Yumi's front gate they see William sitting on the ground, flowers in his lap. "Yumi, if you want I could let you..."

"No Ulrich you are my boyfriend, right?" She squeezes his hand again. William hears foot steps and looks to see Yumi and Ulrich holding hands, he had been too late.

"Uh hi Ulrich, I wanted to give these to Yumi." He hands the golden roses over to Yumi. "Happy Birthday Yumi." William felt foolish now, he had been nice, he let Ulrich have a chance, and he lost Yumi. He had gone to Sissy for help to win Yumi and was ready to follow that advice, but he was too late.

"Thank you William!" Yumi hugs William. "You're a great friend William, they're beautiful, and I've never seen flowers like these." She'd seen red roses, and pink and even purple ones, but never gold ones.

"Well you only turn 15 once right?" Yumi and Ulrich look at each other trying not to laugh, she had turned 15 twice.

"Thanks William." Ulrich was torn inside, he had Yumi, he had finally gone on a date with her, and it was because William gave him a chance, if William had gone after Yumi before this wouldn't have happened.

"I hope you appreciate what you have." William walks away, he had been too nice, what Sissy had told him, and now it lost him Yumi.

"Well Yumi, it's already late, your parents are probably waiting for you." Ulrich wasn't sure what to do now, should he do what William did last time or not? Did Yumi like it, or was it just because he hadn't told her how he felt?

"I know, thank you for the movie, and the thought." Yumi stood there waiting to see if Ulrich would just walk away or kiss her goodnight.

"Happy Birthday, and uh, Yumi?" He looks at her, she didn't open the gate, was she waiting for him to kiss her? He gets on his tip toes and kisses her, waiting to see her reaction.

"Thank you Ulrich." Yumi didn't blush, or hit him like he thought she might, she liked it!

"Don't have to thank me Yumi; I should have done that a long time ago." Ulrich kisses her again, this time making it longer, before stopping. "I have a long walk home Yumi, and school tomorrow, you do to." Ulrich waits for Yumi to get in her house before he starts the long walk back.


End file.
